Ammunition



AMMUNITION M. w.l HAlNEs INVENTOR fao Patented Nov.v 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE AMMUNITION Application November l2, 1932, Serial No. 642,407

6 Claims.

The present invention is an improvement in ammunition and relates to a type of projectile for use in underground or underwater firing.

While the structure hereinafter described is 5 Aparticularly well adapted for use in association with perforating guns lowered into4 deep Awells for the purpose vof puncturing well casings or the like, and while several of the novel features described and claimed herein are the direct result of experimental work and design in that eld, the usefulness of the invention is by no means limited thereto and affects, generally, many types of ammunition, guns and projectiles.

The objects of my invention include:-

The provision, in a percussive device, of means, co-acting with .a projectile and its ring chamber, for retarding the expansive force of an explosive charge, used to start said projectile, in a --manner adapted to utilize, as nearly as possible, the maximum energy vof said charge-in the propulsion of said projectile.

The provision of a means for increasing the muzzle velocity of a projectile, with the use of a given charge of explosive, said means also serving as a uld tight seal before firing.

And the provision of a. positive means for withstanding external pressure, such as hydrostatic pressure encountered at great depths, as in the case of oil well casings.

The structure hereinafter described was evolved to correct, or rather to supplant other devices which proved inoperative or ineffectual in deep well work.

Such ammunition as was available for such use proved useless 4principally for two reasons:- First, a lack of penetrating force suflicient to accomplish the perforation of well casing and surrounding formation; second, when a type of ammunition was found which would accomplish,

reasonably well, the result desired, when demonstrated at or nearthe surface of the ground, said ammunition failed entirely at great depths, because of the fact that external hydrostatic pressure on the exposed end of the projectile forced said projectile into its shell and dampened the firing charge, causing misre.

These objectionable features4 are met and remedied by my improved ammunition.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal central cross sectional view of a removable barrel, here shown as engaged with a fragment of gun carriage or body, and in said barrel, also in cross section, a shell, explosive charge, projectile and re retarding means embodying my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are end views of the barrel shown in -Figure l, and

Figure 4 is a full face view of a gasket member.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I indicates, in "its entirety, a barrel member, here shown as cylindrical, which is threaded externally at 2, for engagement with a bored and tapped member 3 which may be either a part of a breech mechanism or may be a hull or casing of a submarine implement.

The threads 2 serve a dual purpose, serving as a means for tightening a fluid seal to be later described.

Bores 4 in the muzzle end of barrel I aiord means for engagement of the barrel by a Spanner wrench, in a well known manner.

Barrell is centrally bored, and said bore is successively reduced in diameter as indicated at. 6; 'I and 8, to form, respectively, a shell base chamber, a cartridge chamber, and a barrel chamber for a projectile 9.

The diameter of the barrel chamber' 8 coincides with the maximum diameter of the projectile 9.

When the barrel I is to be loaded a cartridge II is inserted in chamber 'I and said barrel is threaded into the breech 3 until the base I2 of saidcartridge abuts said breech and a detonating cap I3 registers with a ring pin I4, normally held from contact with said cap by a. spring I6 one end of which bears against a head I'I ,of said pin and the opposite end against the bottom of a bore I8 into which said head is slidable.

When said pin I4 is driven the cap I3 ignites a charge of explosive I9 within said cartridge II and expels the projectile 9 through bore 8.

Projectile 9 consists -of a metal jacket or bullet of steel or suitable alloy provided with a core base 40 20 of relatively softer metal of a malleable nature adapted to expand under pressure and protect the explosive charge I 9 from intrusion of liquid in which the barrel I is immersed.

This seal is augmented by a shoulder 2l in the 45 cartridge shell II and by use of a washer or gasket' 22, shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Gasket 22 is here shown as circular in form and adapted to seat in an' annular groove 23 in the projectile 9, being either formed therein or force 'fitted into said groove.

Any suitable alloy or compound may be used .for the gasket which will best suit the conditions of use for which it is intended.

The washer or gasket serves a dual purpose. 55

It serves to seal the combustible charge l@ within cartridge Il and acts as a. stop when barrel l is threaded into breech-block 3.

A shoulder 24 (bottom of bore l) encounters.

It isa well known fact that a very considerable part of the energy of an explosive charge, of the type shown herein, is dissipated during the initial stage of combustion and that muzzle velocity, and, consequently, the degree of penetration of a projectile,v is determined by certain recognized' principles which 'influenc the manufacture of munitions.

I have discovered that I can increase, very materially, the penetrative effectiveness of a projectile by seating the gasket 22 in the peripheral groove 23 with the advancing face of said gasket in contact with the shoulder 24 of the barrel I.

When the charge I9 is red gasket 22 shears on the dotted line A of Figure 4, said line representing the circumference of bore 8, and the outer portion remains in chamberA 1 to be later removed with the empty shell 9.

The innermost portion of the sheared ring leaves the barrel I through bore 8 with the projectile Il.

Obviously vvarious characteristics can be imparted to said gasket, either by choice of metals or alloys or by changes in physical dimensions,

ber screwthreaded into said body and provided with a stepped bore with the largest bore at therear, the stepped portion ofthe bore providing a shoulder adjacent the muzzle; said assembly l comprisinga cartridge case insaid largest bore,

to retard the forward movement of the projectile when the cartridge is discharged.

2. The combination with a. barrel member having a bore in which is formed a. shoulder adjacent the muzzle of the barrel member, of a cartridge assembly comprising, a cartridge case, a propellant fuel therein, means for igniting the fuel, a projectile for said cartridge case, and a frangible sealing and retarding gasket secured around the forward portion of the projectile and engageable with said shoulder in iiuid sealing relation therewith, and further engageable to delay discharge of the projectile upon igniting the fuel.

3. The combination with -a barrel member having a bore in which is formed a shoulder adjacent the. muzzle of the barrel member, of a cartridge assembly comprising, a cartridge case, a propellant fuel therein, means for igniting the fuel, a projectile for said cartridge case, and a frangible means engageable with said shoulder and the forward en d of said projectile to form a sealing and securing connection between the projectile and barrel member operative to seal during initial travel of the projectile.

lg 'Ihe combination with a barrel member having a bore in which is formed a shoulder adjacent the muzzle of the barrel member, and an explosive cartridge means, of a projectile mounted within the barrel member and co-actively associated with the cartridge means; and a frangible means engageable with said shoulder and the forward end of said projectile to form a sealing and securing connection between the projectile and barrel member operative to seal during initial travel of the projectile.

5. 'I'he combination with a barrel member and an explosive cartridge means, of a projectile mounted within the barrel member and co-actively associated with the cartridge means; and a frangible sealing and discharge delaying means connecting said projectile with the barrel member at their forward ends and operative to seal during initial movement of said projectile.

6. The combination with a barrel member having a sealing and retaining element at its forward or muzzle end and an explosive cartridge means, of a projectile mounted within the barrel member and co-actively associated with the cartridge means; a sealing and retaining element incorporated in said projectile at its forward end, and a frangible sealing and discharge delaying device tting the sealing and retaining member elements of the barrel and projectile, said device being disposed so as to shear before discharge of the projectile and thereafter to form a pair of sealing rings operative during initial travel of said projectile.

MARCUS W. HAINES. 

